Library of Heaven's Path

“You will assess me personally?” Zhang Jiuxiao’s face paled, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

He understood Zhang Xuan’s intentions. He had injured those two young men and rendered them incapable of battle so that he would be able to take advantage of their weakness and obtain an easy pass for the Selection of Sages. But who would have thought that Zhao Xingmo would actually disregard his own standing as a senior and declare that he would conduct the test personally!

Given how formidable those two listening-in students were, the guide was bound to be even more so. Against such an opponent, how could Zhang Jiuxiao possibly stand a chance?

Hearing Zhao Xingmo’s words, Zhang Xuan frowned. “As a guide to the Sancutum of Sages, isn’t it inappropriate for you to make a move against your juniors?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll suppress my cultivation down to your level, Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage,” Zhao Xingmo replied calmly.

“This…” Hearing that, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking, “As long as Jiuxiao is able to withstand three moves from you, it’ll be considered a pass, right?”

“That’s correct!” Zhao Xingmo nodded.

Following which, the energy within his body began flurrying, and in the blink of an eye, his cultivation had already been suppressed to Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, the same as the two challengers.

Zhang Xuan fell quiet.

To be honest, even if Zhao Xingmo suppressed his cultivation, he still possessed an absolute advantage in terms of his experience and eye of discernment. It would be extremely difficult for Zhang Jiuxiao to withstand three moves from him. Or to be more precise, it was impossible.

“Zhang shi, I appreciate your goodwill, but it’s fine. If I am unable to clear the test, it can only mean that my cultivation hasn’t met the mark yet, and I’m not fated with the Sanctum of Sages.” Zhang Jiuxiao stepped forward and smiled.

To be honest, he was rather touched to see Zhang Xuan speaking on his behalf. However, since things had come to this point, there was nothing else that could be done.

At the very most, it would just be a loss. It was not like it would be the end of the world. As an offspring of the Zhang Clan, he could at least take a defeat.

Hong long!

Zhang Jiuxiao began furiously exerting the zhenqi within his body. While his aura paled in comparison to the collaboration between those two listening in students, it carried an unwavering and fearless intention behind it.

“Good.” Zhao Xingmo nodded.

Considering the overwhelming disparity between the both of them, Zhang Jiuxiao could be said to be rather courageous to still be willing to step forward and face him.

Of course, courage was not enough for one to become a student of the Sanctum of Sages. More importantly, one had to possess sufficient strength!

Without strength, everything else would be for naught.

Just as Zhang Jiuxiao’s entire body tensed up, ready to face whatever Zhao Xingmo threw at him, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke once more. “Wait a moment!”

“What’s wrong this time?” Zhao Xingmo frowned in impatience.

This lad sure was a ton of trouble.

You have already cleared the test yourself; do you really value whatever friendship you have with Zhang Jiuxiao so much that you are determined to have him clear the test with you?

Other master teachers would know to back down in such situations, especially since the matter does not concern their own interests. Do you really know what kind of figure you are attempting to haggle with?

“I understand that Zhao shi is in a rush, but surely it would be fine to spare us twenty minutes?”

“Hmm?” Zhao Xingmo was not sure what Zhang Xuan was getting at.

“It’s like this. I have gained some insights from the previous battle with those two young men over there, and I would like to share them with Jiuxiao.” Zhang Xuan raised his gaze to stare intently at Zhao Xingmo. “Zhao shi, as the guide, you should at least have some time to spare for us to trade some insights, right?”

“… Fine.” Zhao Xingmo frowned in displeasure, clearly unhappy with this proposition. Nevertheless, he eventually nodded in agreement.

Twenty minutes would not make a difference to the outcome of the test.

If it was that easy to raise a person’s fighting prowess, everyone would have been an expert by then.

“Thank you, Zhao shi. Jiuxiao, come over for a moment!” Zhang Xuan gestured with a smile.

Knowing that Zhang Xuan was doing all of this for him, Zhang Jiuxiao unhesitatingly headed over. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly caught sight of something that left his eyes widening in shock.

A massive cauldron was plummeting from the sky, headed straight toward Zhao Xingmo’s head!

Seeing this sight, Zhang Jiuxiao nearly fainted from fright.

Who was Zhao Xingmo?

A guide of the Sanctum of Sages, a Saint 6-dan expert at the very least! Even if Zhao Xingmo had suppressed his cultivation to Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, such a crude assault would never work on him!

Just as Zhang Jiuxiao was about to scream out loud, he suddenly saw Zhang Xuan’s figure blurring before him. With a powerful leap off, Zhang Xuan dashed straight toward Zhao Xingmo, and in that moment, it seemed like his figure had warped into a sword itself, seemingly wanting to tear the latter into pieces.

“It’s over…” Zhang Jiuxiao felt that if there was an end to the world, this would likely be it. His body trembled uncontrollably, and he nearly burst into tears.

Even if I can’t clear the test, you really don’t have to kill the guide for me! If you succeed, you will become a fugitive of the Master Teacher Pavilion, condemned to an entire life of escape!

This sight did not just challenge the limits of Zhang Jiuxiao’s rationality, even Pavilion Master Wu and Yao shi felt as if they were going insane.

To make a move against Zhao Xingmo… Too reckless!

If the other party got mad, putting aside the fact that Zhang Xuan would not be doing Zhang Jiuxiao any favors, he might even be stripped of his own slot.

But everything had happened so fast that even they were unable to intervene in time.

“Humph!” Noticing Zhang Xuan’s assault, Zhao Xingmo’s eyebrows shot up. Driving his zhenqi, he raised his finger and stabbed it forward like a sword.

Even though his cultivation was still suppressed at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage, this simple maneuver amply displayed his superior eye of discernment, experience, and combat sense.

The finger stab was directed straight toward the blind spot of Zhang Xuan’s offense. Not only would it be able to keep Zhang Xuan at bay, it would also allow him to fend off the cauldron above him at the same time. Two birds with a stone!

To be able to make such sharp instantaneous judgement from the unprepared state he was in, there was no doubt that his combat experience was superior even in comparison to Zhang Xuan.

Hula!

However, before the finger stab could strike Zhang Xuan, the young man suddenly flitted to the side before raising his palm, thrusting it toward the cauldron above to neutralize the force behind its descent, and catching it with a single hand.

His movements were actually not an assault against Zhao Xingmo but a maneuver to rescue!

Zhang Xuan swiftly shoved the Golden Origin Cauldron into his storage ring before apologizing awkwardly to Zhao Xingmo. “My apologies, Zhao shi. I have really spoiled my cauldron. It never thinks before acting, and I never thought that it would suddenly make a move against you either. I was alarmed when I saw it earlier, and that’s why I leaped forward to save you. I hope that I didn’t scare you!”

“You say that you were saving me?” Zhao Xingmo nearly choked on his saliva.

To use your body as a sword and charge toward me with such frightening momentum, as if preparing to launch a lethal strike at any moment… Are you sure that you were trying to rescue me?

That’s clearly attempted murder!

If I hadn’t reacted fast enough, I would have been split in half by now!

Not to mention, that vicious cauldron even wanted to smash my head. Do you really think that I will drop the matter with a simple ‘I didn’t know that it would do that’?

Zhang Xuan clasped his fist apologetically. “Indeed. I am the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and this cauldron is the Saint Guardian Artifact of the academy. As such, it’s constantly keeping a lookout for my safety and protecting me. It sensed the overwhelming strength that Zhao shi was emanating, so it thought that you were planning to harm me. That’s why it would recklessly make a move against you. Zhao shi, I hope that you will be as magnanimous as to let this matter go…”

“Alright, alright! Hurry up and impart your insight. I’ll give you ten minutes!” Even though Zhao Xingmo still felt deeply indignant, he eventually decided to drop the issue.

The other party had been pushing all of the blame to his artifact right from the start, and he could not stoop down to the level of venting his anger on a mere artifact.

If the guide to the Sanctum of Sages were to pummel its owner out of fury toward an artifact… His peers would use that as a reason to mock him for many years to come!

Not to mention, the cauldron was the Guardian Saint Artifact of a Master Teacher Academy, so it was bound to have contributed plenty to mankind. Even if he was an advanced master teacher, there would still be repercussions if he killed such an artifact that easily.

Nodding in relief, Zhang Xuan returned to Zhang Jiuxiao’s side, and his face immediately turned grim as he sent a telepathic message over. “Even though Zhao shi has suppressed his cultivation, given your current strength, it’ll be impossible for you to emerge victorious. However, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to withstand a few moves from him. I’ll teach you three maneuvers right now, and as long as you learn them seriously, no matter what kind of move Zhao shi throws at you, you will be able to neutralize it by repeating them again and again… Got it?”

“Yes!” Zhang Jiuxiao nodded.

Considering that the young man before him was a Celestial Master Teacher, and taking into account everything that the other party had done for him, Zhang Jiuxiao no longer harbored any doubt toward him.

“I’ll describe those movements to you in detail, so try to simulate them in your head. Don’t execute them, or else he will be prepared for them,” Zhang Xuan instructed.

These three maneuvers were directed toward Zhao Xingmo’s flaws, and their aim was just to catch him off guard. If he noticed their intentions in advance, given his strength and eye of discernment, these maneuvers would surely be rendered useless.

Understanding this as well, Zhang Jiuxiao listened earnestly as he pictured those movements in his mind. It did not take long before he grasped the zhenqi circulation method and the trajectory of each attack.

As for the remaining time, he continued driving his zhenqi as he simulated those three moves in his mind in order to execute them perfectly when he faced Zhao Xingmo later on.

These three moves were actually rather simple, much simpler than any battle techniques in fact. A couple of minutes was more than enough for him to hone them to perfection.

Seeing that Zhao Xingmo’s complexion was still rather awful, Pavilion Master Wu stepped forward to alleviate the situation. “Zhao shi, please don’t take the matter to heart. Zhang shi’s cauldron is indeed a little reckless. Just earlier this morning, an envoy from Qianchong Empire, Song shi, was turned into a eunuch by it.”

He had no idea why Zhang Xuan would attempt to assault Zhao shi, only to stop at the crucial moment, but considering the relationship between them, he felt obliged to cover for the young man.

“Someone has been turned into a eunuch?” Zhao Xingmo was unaware of the various affairs that had happened earlier in the morning, and he frowned upon hearing Pavilion Master Wu’s words.

“Indeed…” Pavilion Master Wu proceeded to fill Zhao Xingmo in on the various matters that had happened earlier.

Even though he had not been on the scene personally, he was still able to picture the situation through Pavilion Master Wu’s descriptions.

“That cauldron sure is reckless!” After hearing the full story, Zhao Xingmo could not help but shake his head.

For an artifact to cripple the manhood of a quasi 8-star master teacher, even the word ‘brazen’ would be an understatement!

Of course, that was even more so for Zhang Xuan. To dare talk back to a quasi 8-star master teacher and even walk away from the conflict unscathed… yet it was the other party that had ended up being punished.

Just as Zhao Xingmo wanted to inquire deeper into Zhang Xuan’s history, the person in question suddenly spoke up from the side. “Zhao shi, we are done trading insights. You can start the test now.”

Turning his gaze over, he saw that Zhang Jiuxiao was already standing at the center of the hall, his body conditioned to its peak, ready to face any opponent before him.

Zhao Xingmo made a rough calculation of the time, but it seemed like five minutes had not even passed. Slightly perplexed, he stepped forward and said, “Very well, let me see just what kind of insight he has shared with you!”

To haggle with him just to stall for a mere five minutes… what kind of valuable insight did Zhang Xuan impart to Zhang Jiuxiao within this short period of time?

“Zhao shi, please pardon me if my moves offend you later on!” Zhang Jiuxiao clasped his fist and spoke apologetically.

“Offend me? Worry not! Feel free to use whatever you have against me. As long as you can withstand three moves from me, I’ll consider allocating you another slot!” Zhao Xingmo replied calmly.

“Thank you. I’ll be making my move then.”

Hu la!

Before finishing his words, Zhang Jiuxiao had already leaped off the ground to dash furiously forward. His right leg shot up, traveling along a trajectory that would land perfectly in between Zhao Xingmo’s thighs.

“You…” Not expecting that fellow to actually aim for Little Zhao right from the start, Zhao shi’s face turned livid.

It was just a moment ago that he had heard about how Song shi’s manhood had been crippled by a cauldron, and then Zhang Jiuxiao suddenly came at him with this move.

Don’t tell me that the supposed insight that Zhang Xuan imparted to you was to strike me there?